The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to printed circuits, and, more particularly, to electrically connecting printed circuits together.
Some electrical systems include a relatively high number of ground and/or signal paths between electrical components of the system. For example, hundreds or thousands of ground and/or signal paths may be routed between electrical components of the system. Because of the ever increasing demand on individual electrical components, and the system overall, to accommodate more signal and/or ground paths, it may be desirable to increase the density of electrical contacts at interconnection points between the electrical components of the system. For example, it may be desirable to increase the density of electrical contacts where two or more printed circuits are electrically interconnected. Moreover, increased density may be desirable at locations within the system where a relatively high number of signal and/or ground paths are routed to a relatively compact component, such as a cable that may include a bundle of a plurality of smaller electrical leads and/or coaxial cables. For example, a smaller printed circuit that terminates a plurality of coaxial cables may have a relatively high density of electrical contacts for receiving a relatively high number of signal and/or ground paths from a larger printed circuit of the system.
Typically, printed circuits are electrically connected together using one or more intervening electrical connector assemblies. Specifically, one of the printed circuits may include an electrical connector assembly that mates with electrical contacts on the secondary printed circuit. Alternatively, both printed circuits include electrical connector assemblies that mate with each other. Each electrical connector assembly typically includes a housing that holds a plurality of mating contacts. Each mating contact is electrically connected to one or more corresponding electrical contacts of the printed circuit on which the electrical connector assembly is mounted. To establish an electrical connection between the printed circuits, the mating contacts of the electrical connector assemblies directly engage either the electrical contacts on the secondary printed circuit or the mating contacts of the electrical connector assembly of the secondary printed circuit. As described above, it may be desirable to increase the density of the electrical contacts of the printed circuits where they interconnect. For example, it may be desirable to increase the density of electrical contacts on a printed circuit that terminates the end of a cable to accommodate interconnecting more electrical leads and/or coaxial cables to the other printed circuit. However, increasing the density of the electrical contacts of the printed circuit may require increasing the density of the mating contacts of the electrical connector assembl(ies). Increasing the density of the mating contacts of the electrical connector assembl(ies) may decrease the signal integrity of the electrical connection between the printed circuits.
There is a need for increasing the density of electrical contacts at the interconnection between printed circuits without decreasing signal integrity. For example, there is a need for connecting a printed circuit that terminates an increased number of electrical leads and/or coaxial cables to another printed circuit without decreasing signal integrity.